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The outside of your home is just as important as the inside. Spend some time giving your home’s exterior some love to create a sense of welcoming – so that your buyers are impressed before they even leave the car!

• Create curb appeal:

  Impress buyers from the start by enhancing your home's exterior. Powerwash siding and the driveway, mow the lawn, tidy up the garden, or plant bright flowers. Clean windows, update house numbers, and replace a worn mailbox. Make it welcoming!

• Make your porch welcoming:

  Extend curb appeal to your porch: tidy furniture, add a new welcome mat, potted flowers, and update your doorknob. Hang a tasteful wreath and keep the porch light on for evening showings.

• Spruce up outdoor areas:

  Make outdoor spaces inviting, whether a yard or balcony. Add seating or dining areas like chairs, a hammock, or a fire pit to help buyers picture the lifestyle. Keep gardens tidy, lawn mown, and clear any fallen leaves or branches.

Nothing turns off a buyer like persistent maintenance problems, lingering repair projects, or a home that’s just not clean! Don’t lose out on a sale for an easily preventable reason!

• Finish repair projects:

  Avoid intimidating buyers with unfinished projects. Replace or repair missing floorboards, crooked shingles, cracked windows, and any other maintenance issues. Ensure your home looks well-maintained from top to bottom.

• Clear out the clutter:

  Clear out closets, shelves, cabinets, and counters to make rooms feel spacious and clean. Donate clothes, partially empty closets and cabinets to create a sense of space, and consider storing oversized or mismatched furniture.

• Deep clean EVERYTHING:

  Make sure your home sparkles by deep cleaning tiles, grout, showers, and tubs. If cleaning isn’t your favorite task, hire a professional—the investment is worth it! For pet owners, consider steam-cleaning rugs and adding light fragrances to mask any odors.

Now that you’ve created curb appeal and tackled the basics, it’s time to start looking for ways to impress your buyers and make your home stand apart from the crowd.

• Depersonalize your decor:

  Keep decor neutral and simple to appeal to all buyers. Repaint bold walls in neutral tones, replace personal decor with tasteful art, and create a lived-in feel that isn’t too personalized—helping buyers envision making the space their own.

• Create balance with furniture:

  Furniture placement can transform a room. Avoid overcrowding or leaving too much space; floating pieces away from walls can make rooms feel larger and create a cozy atmosphere.

Now’s the fun part – the detailed staging and decorating that adds that “wow” factor, that sparkle, that little bit of something special. Just be sure to keep it simple!`

• Increase your lighting:

  Brighten your home by enhancing both natural and artificial lighting. Open windows or pull back drapes for natural light. Use higher wattage bulbs in lamps and fixtures, and include three lighting types in each room: ambient (overhead), task (reading or under-cabinet), and accent (table or floor lamps).

• Bring the outdoors inside:

  Neutral decor doesn’t have to be boring. Add vibrant color with potted plants, fresh flowers, or fall branches to enhance warmth and create a welcoming atmosphere.